Carrier Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings | Carrier makes air conditioners with efficiency ratings from 13 SEER all the way up to 21 SEER. 21 SEER is a very high energy efficiency rating for an air source central air conditioning system. As opposed to geothermal systems. They use R-410A in all models of the air conditioner line. Systems that use R-22 refrigerant are no longer manufactured because R-22 will soon be phased out.
Carrier does manufacture air conditioner systems for residential, light commercial, and heavy commercial applications. In the residential line-up, the super-efficient model line up is named Infinity. The next step down being the Performance series. Carriers Performance series is the mid-range line. Then the Comfort series air conditioners are the Carrier economy line. Carrier also offers a builder’s grade line up. Some features of selected AC’s are:
Carrier Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings | Select Features
- Selected Carrier AC models are Energy Star air conditioner rated
- Electronic diagnostic control in selected air conditioners for easier air conditioner troubleshooting
- 2 stage scroll compressor operation for selected Carrier air conditioners
- Low sound ratings for many Carrier AC systems
- Powder coated paint for durable and dependable operation for many years on selected Carrier AC systems
All of Carriers residential line of air conditioners come in the 2 to 5 ton size range. The size of air conditioner you will need will be based on a load calculation for your home. Carrier does have AHRI certifications for all the air conditioners we researched. This means their claims of efficiency are certified by a recognized and respected testing agency. Carrier, like other manufacturers, does produce some proprietary parts.
That means you may pay more for the parts if you need air conditioner service and repair. High Performance HVAC always recommends you purchase the extended parts and labor warranty if available. Lastly, most warranties expire in less than 5 to 10 years and do not cover labor.
Carrier Air Conditioner Model Comparison Guide
| Carrier Air Conditioner Model Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Infinity Series (Premium Model) | Performance Series (Mid-Range Model) 24ACB7 | Comfort Series (Economy Model) |
| 16 SEER and up to 21 SEER Performance | 13 SEER AND up to 17 SEER Performance | 13 SEER and up to 16 SEER Performance |
| 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty with a 3-Year Labor Limited Warranty | 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty with optional 3-year labor Limited Warranty | 10-Year Unit Replacement Limited Warranty with optional 3-year labor Limited Warranty |
| High-efficiency ECM condenser fan motor | Fan motor data not provided. We recommend ECM fan motors for two-stage systems | Single-speed condenser fan motor |
| Variable-speed compressor operation | Two-Stage scroll compressor in select models/single-stage in other Performance series models | Energy-efficient compressor |
| Heavy-gauge galvanized-steel cabinet with baked-on, durable powder coat paint and steel louvered coil guard | Durable sheet metal with powder paint and steel louvered guards | Durable sheet metal with powder paint and wire coil guards |
| Infinity Control with advanced diagnostic | Côr® Wi-Fi® Thermostat | Côr® Wi-Fi® Thermostat |
| 58 decibels | 72 decibels | 72 decibels |
| Greenspeed Intelligence | Not noted | not noted |
| Select sizes meet ENERGY STAR Air Conditioner qualifications | Meets ENERGY STAR Air Conditioner qualifications | N/A |
| High and Low-pressure refrigeration switches | High and Low-pressure refrigeration switches | Refrigeration pressure switches not indicated in documents |
Carrier Contractor Support and Training
For an HVAC manufacturer, Carrier offers a pretty good support network for contractors. That is important to you, the consumer if something goes wrong with your new air conditioner. It’s important to get a qualified contractor for the installation. You want a contractor that will do the job correctly and follow industry standards and safety codes. Some of this comes from manufacturer led training courses, especially for the installation of their equipment. That sharpens the skills of the technicians so they off better installation and service skills. Furthermore, Carrier dealers do offer training courses to help contractors have better, more skilled technicians. Lastly, that’s a plus for you, the consumer.
Carrier is competitive with some of the more prominent brand names. If compared with the automotive industry, they would be in the big three like Ford, Chrysler, and Chevy. They also have some proprietary components to their air conditioner systems. Often, the replacement parts are expensive to replace if something goes wrong.
Carrier Air Conditioner Top SEER
Carrier Air Handlers
If you are purchasing an air conditioner for your home, you’ll need an air handler. (Unless you have a gas furnace for home heating). Carrier AC air handlers are used in light commercial and residential applications ranging from 1.5 tons to 5-ton models. Carrier lists air handlers on their website as fan coil units, which is another word for the air handler. They are usually tip-top for information about their products. Much of the information is straight forward about the features they offer and what those features do for the customer.
That is good for the consumer as you do not have to be a Sherlock Holmes to figure some mysterious feature that some remote marketing team came up with to make their product look spiffy. On the downside, Carrier is a premium product, and many of the parts for their products are proprietary. Think of Carrier as a Cadillac and expect Cadillac service from the Carrier HVAC Contractor that services the system for you.
Carrier Air Handler Features
Selected features of various Carrier air handlers include:
- Advanced diagnostic boards in select Carrier air handlers
- 10-year limited parts warranty in select Carrier air handlers
- Variable speed fans in select Carrier air handlers
- Baked on urethane base coat and polyester topcoat for durability in select Carrier air handlers
- Washable filter in select Carrier air handlers
Condensing Units | Carrier Air Conditioners
Carrier condensing units range from 13 SEER up to 21 SEER for Carrier air conditioner condensing units and 13 SEER to 19 SEER for heat pump condensing units. The economical Comfort series offers comfort at an affordable price while the Infinity series offers high-efficiency air conditioner condensers and heat pump condensers. Various features of selected Carrier condensing units include:
- Selected Carrier condensing units offer two-stage compressors
- Top model is variable capacity
- Selected Carrier condensers offer advanced diagnostic features
- Condenser units are designed for rugged durability and construction
- Carrier condensing units are designed for quiet operation
- Selected Carrier condensing units are Energy Star rated
Carrier Condensing Units | Professional opinion
The Carrier brand offers some of the highest range of efficiency levels in the industry for standard Carrier air source heat pump and Carrier air conditioner condensing units. They have solid engineering behind their condensing units that offer great equipment that can be trouble-free over the life of the equipment provided that it is installed properly and maintained properly. One drawback to Carrier, in my opinion, is their parts. Carrier engineers some of the parts in most Carrier brand HVAC equipment and offer added value to the equipment; however, these parts are only available from Carrier. Lastly, that can be very expensive if something goes wrong.
As a professional technician who works in the field and has for many years I’ve seen the pain the consumers get when I show them the bill after repairing a Carrier unit. They end getting angry with me when I keep my rates reasonable and show them the cost of the part. Other manufacturers do the same, so unless you know, then you will pay the price when a problem develops, and you have no choice but to purchase the new part from a Carrier air conditioning Supplier.
A good thing about Carrier is that they have standards for their dealers that require them to have a certain amount of training for their technicians. That is good in the regard that you will someone who is knowledgeable about the equipment and can troubleshoot and repair the equipment efficiently if something goes wrong.
Saving Utilities = Saving Energy = Saving Money | Air Conditioner Reviews - Carrier Consumer Ratings
The higher the SEER rating of the air conditioner, the higher the monthly savings in energy bills. Conversely, the installation costs in the initial purchase will be higher for the home air conditioning system. Additionally, repair costs could be higher because the high SEER air conditioner systems are more complex in operation, design, and components. However, inside the warranty this would only be for labor and not replacement parts for the Carrier air conditioning brand. For the higher SEER ranges/more energy efficient models in the Carrier air conditioning brands, go with the Infinity models.
Air Conditioner Pricing, Efficiency, and Return On Investment Factors
| Pricing Versus Efficiency Return On Investment | ||
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | Pricing Range for Initial Purchase and Subsequent Repairs outside of Warranty | ROI (Return On Investment) |
| 19 SEER Plus | $$$$$ | 5 to 7 years depending on efficiency* |
| 15 to 18 SEER | $$$ | 7 to 10 years depending on efficiency* |
| 13 to 14 SEER | $ | Over 10 years* |
| *Many factors depend on ROI such as house insulation, personal usage preferences, duct work integrity, and other basic efficiency factors. SEER level efficiency is very important to ROI. The higher the SEER, the quicker the return. | ||
Warranties | Air Conditioner Reviews - Carrier Consumer Ratings
Warranties for Carrier brands including air conditioners are competitive and match industry standards for other brands. The key is to know most HVAC industry brands warranties are limited parts warranties and do not include labor. To the consumer, this means if an air conditioning breakdown occurs, you will still have to pay for labor. For that reason, we recommend buying a Carrier extended warranty that includes labor. Furthermore, especially if you purchasing the higher tier models that have more bells and whistles. Higher tier air conditioning systems include the Infinity models for the Carrier brands. Lastly, protecting yourself and your home with the right warranties will save you in the future.
United Technologies - Momma
Among other brands, Carrier is owned by United Technologies which is the same parent corporation of Bryant, Heil, and Tempstar among other brands under the United Technologies umbrella.
For more information on Carrier and their latest models and efficiency ratings visit the Carrier website.
Carrier Air Conditioner Reviews - Consumer Ratings
I purchase an 80 ton and a 75 ton package unit. They are approaching 5 years old. Most if not all of the compressors have been replaced. Labor cost is about 5k each. That’s 8 total. Condenser fans are another failure. I keep four new ones on hand due to leads times. Both service breakers have melted and been replaced with something better. The units should handle 24 hour operation but they have not been able to survive.
Lost the comment because of not checking the little box, it says to simply hit the back button. Very poor web design.
DO NOT BUY CARRIER unless it is 20 to 30 years old. The new units will last months before repairs are required. You will have to pay hundreds in labor each month you use them (parts under warranty, you’ll have to pay shipping for, as well, and they will send a defective part to replace your failed part.) You will wind up paying more than the unit itself cost in repairs (and this is UNDER WARRANTY) than the unit costs, in the first year. Basically, you’re better off having it removed and buying another brand THE DAY YOU PURCHASE IT.
Concerning the “Bad Web Design” Comment: This site is on a platform that is open source and available to many who want a good CMS platform. We don’t have control over the every single bit of code but we will look into testing and seeking a solution so we don’t lose comments. We appreciate all comments except spam comments which are captured by a different program. Thanks.
We had a pair of high efficiency heat pumps installed (21SEER). the installation was fine, and I suspect the equipment could work as advertised, but the thermostats are junk. They only read out to even degrees, and they don’t regulate very well. I sent them data showing how on cold days I have to set my thermostat 10-12 degrees higher. They claim it’s a bad thermostat but I’m waiting 2 months and still don’t have a replacement thermostat. The other bad thing is you MUST use that particular thermostat- it’s the only one that works with the system. So I have an $18,000 system that only reads out to even degrees and has loose regulation.
Carrier Air Conditioners are junk. DO NOT BUY. Customer service is horrible (quote from their consumer help desk when asking how to get a system fixed: “That’s your problem.”). Absolutely HORRIBLE.
The contractor was slow and didn’t come when they promised but when they did they installed the system in two days when they said it would take 3. We had the duct work replaced and a new furnace also and have no problems in the 4 years we’ve had the system. We bought the maintenance contract with the new system and they show up every six months and do the maintenance. Carrier is a good product in my opinion although it was expensive.
Admin Transfer – May 31, 2015 Original Review by – Jasmine Max
I thought that equipment is the coolest ever. Installation took 5 days but my electric bill are cheaper.
Admin transfer from old reviews site to new – May 31, 2015
Terrible support from the manufacturer over a bad circuit board. I was 3 days before the equipment was repaired.
Admin transfer from old reviews site – May 31, 2015
I believe that equipment was the coolest ever. Installation took 2 days but my utilities are less.
Reviewed by Admin Transfer September 04, 2011
still running
Reviewed by todd April 07, 2010
still running
R-22 Central unit with straight air gas heat. Built house in 91 . Builder had system installed . Had one leak caused by the well water line laying on top of the line set. Rubbed hole in low side. Replaced contractor in outside unit once. Has been good one, hate to convert to 410a but don’t want to miss tax credit.Don’t like all the over engineering on the new systems. More government bs outlawing r22. What are the long term effects of 134a. No one knows.Why aren’t they outlawing clorine everywhere else? water treatment plants?
Reviewed by Admin Transfer September 04, 2011
Builder’s grade system 11 years old and still ru
Reviewed by Ron Rose October 22, 2010
Builder’s grade system 11 years old and still runn
We bought our house in 1999, 3450 sqft, one story in Arizona. We have 2 split systems, one is a 5 ton A/C and the other is a 4 ton A/C and both have gas heaters. In 11 years have only had to replace the outside FAN and FUSE. I know is is a ‘builders grade’ system, but it works great. I have heard from a couple neighbors that they just replace one of their units. Starting to look at new systems, for I believe it is just a matter of time before mine breaks. I have had the system checked ever 6 months and everything looks fine at this point.